Training camps are typically a time when pro cycling teams gather themselves and prepare for the season ahead, but Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe have got theirs off to a flying start.
Nine of the WorldTour team, led by Tour de France podium finisher Florian Lipowitz, towed a piloted glider plane into flight in Son Bonet, Mallorca.
The team used a 1,500m runway to accelerate to 54kph while connected to a cord and a specially designed harness.
“When I first heard about this project, I didn’t think it was possible. Launching a plane? It seemed impossible. Nothing like this has ever been done in road cycling”, Lipowitz said.
The riders are said to have averaged 650W for 90 seconds to get the glider, piloted by Andy Hediger, into the air.
“Being towed by manpower was a special feeling. I’m so happy to finally combine aviation with cycling, and to see Red Bull bringing our new ideas to life,” Hediger said.
Dan Bigham, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe’s head of engineering, went as far as to say the project was “game-changing for the sport” because it enabled him to use his expertise in aerodynamics and engineering.
“From the data and our models, we knew it would take ~500watts from each rider to launch the plane, but we did not want to stop there. Every watt more meant more altitude for the plane. To see Andy reach 100 meters was pretty special,” Bigham said.
